CHAR-KOOSTA
r of the Confederated Palish & Kootena/ Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
VOLUME 13 NUMBER 5
THE MONTH OF CELEBRATION DANCES
JULY 10, 1984
Come Support the Dam": Rally attracts 300; testimony still needed
Close to 300 people braved high, chilly winds and threatening storm clouds June 29 to gather west of Poison for the "Come Support the Dam" meeting.
The gathering was organized both for showing support for the Tribes'
The name Char-Koosta is derived from Chief Charlo's and Chief Koostatah's names. They were the Tribes' last traditional chiefs.
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application for the license to operate Kerr Dam, and as a memorial in honor of the 13 Tribal members who died while constructing the contested facility.
According to research done in 1980, Henry Couture Jack Anderson, Clifford Gendron, Anthony Adams, Dave Sanchez, Harold McNeeley, Allen Ross and Joe St Germaine were all killed on March 3, 1937, victims of a large landslide. A smaller slide took the lives of Pat Sapiel Pierre, Paul Inmee and Joe Mathias. John E. Malatare died a month later, followed by James "Blackie" Emerson, who died when a beam failed to stay in place.
Among the speakers June 29 were Pat Pierre Johnny Arlee, Louis Caye, and Tom FarrelL Farrell helped build the dam 48 years ago and worked for Montana Power Company for 38 years. Council speakers included Jim Steele Ron Therriault, and Teresa Wall, who, with Martin "Buddy" Papin, organized the event
Former Council member Bearhead Swaney acted as moderator.
The Pistol Creek Singers and the Hellgate Singers from Missoula provided the honor song and other traditional music, while the Kicking Horse Job Corps cooks, who took second place in a regional food preparation contest (story next issue), served up salmon and barbequed beef.
In spite of the weather and the lack of a public address system everyone seemed to have enjoyed the day's outing, especially many of the younger ones, who braved the cliffside walk down to the vista point for a closer look at the dam and the rainbow show it was putting on
We hope to have pictures of the event for the next issue *
Teresa Wall reports that things are shaping up nicely in the hearings testimony department She has close to 400 letters of support signed as we put this (Concludes on page three)
Quarterly is this Friday
The third quarterly Council meeting for 1984 is set for Friday, July 6, beginning at 9 am in the Council chambers in Pablo.
Since the day s dancing at the pow wow doesn't begin until 2 p.m., there's plenty of time to attend at least the morning session of the meeting, at which there may be some last-minute news about the Kerr relicensing process